One example of a conventional game apparatus is disclosed in a second printing of ‘Dorimaga Books Phantasy Star Online Ultimate’ (Softbank Publishing Inc., Mar. 14, 2002: 202-203). This network action role-playing game (network action RPG) offers an event in which players who have met on a network cooperate to defeat a strong enemy.
Also, as disclosed in a first printing of ‘Terekuresuta Kanzen Koryaku Technique Book’ (Tokuma Communications Co. Ltd., Nov. 1, 1986: 22-24), a game is known where a player operates a plurality of characters alone. In this prior art shooting game (a kind of action game), obtaining a predetermined item makes it possible to enhance power and make a formation together with parts acquired through a predetermined operation, which allows a player to proceed with the game more advantageously.
Likewise, in a shooting game disclosed in a first printing of ‘Gradius Hissho Koryakuho’ (Futaba Publishers Ltd., Jun. 22, 1986: 11), a player may have his own machine followed by a double thereof referred to as an option. This option is capable of shooting the same weapon as the player's own machine's. Thus, the more the number of options increases, the more advantageously the player can proceed with the game.
However, the above network action RPG does not allow a player to play the game alone in situations requiring cooperation among a plurality of players. Even if it were possible to play the game alone, the player would need to take more complicated measures and would have more difficulties as compared to the case where a plurality of players cooperate to play the game; thus, the player might lose interest in the game.
Also, none of the above-described shooting games are designed for a plurality of players to play cooperatively. Moreover, even in a case where one player plays the game alone, it is only possible for him to develop the progress of the game advantageously by adding his own machine's doubles and parts for the purpose of supporting player characters. That is, these games are not supposed to be played by changing formations in a strategic way, although they allow the player to defeat the enemy more easily by increasing the number of options following the player's own machine and by providing parts for making a formation. Therefore, the player may become frustrated with the monotonous progress of the game.
It is therefore a feature of an exemplary illustrative embodiment to provide a novel game apparatus and storage medium storing a game program.
It is another feature of an exemplary illustrative embodiment to provide a game apparatus and a storage medium storing a game program for playing an action game with a novel operating environment incorporated therewith.
It is still another feature of an exemplary illustrative embodiment to provide a game apparatus and a storage medium storing a game program that, regardless of a number of players, offer a player an environment of a similar level as when a plurality of players play the action game in cooperation, and do not change the action game's interesting aspects even if the number of players varies.
It is yet another feature of an exemplary illustrative embodiment to provide a game apparatus and a storage medium storing a game program that enhance fascinating factors in the action game relating to strategic aspects thereof.
A game apparatus according to an exemplary illustrative embodiment comprises at least one operating means, a game processing means and a display means, and is for playing a game by directly operating a predetermined number of player characters in real time. This game apparatus comprises a number-of-operating-players setting means, a player characters control means, an operating player setting means, and a comparing means. The number-of-operating-players setting means sets a number of operating players. The player characters control means controls the predetermined number of player characters based on an operation input from the operating means and on the game processing means, and displays them on the display means. The operating player setting means sets the operating players to each of the predetermined number of player characters. The comparing means compares the number of players set by the number-of-operating-players setting means with the number of the predetermined number of player characters. When the predetermined number of player characters is larger than the number of the players, the operating player setting meanslchanges the setting in such a manner that the players may operate more than one player character so that every player character is assigned to one of the players.
More specifically, a game apparatus (10) according to an exemplary illustrative embodiment comprises at least one operating means (22), a game processing means (36), and a display means (34). A number-of-operating-players setting means (36) sets the number of operating players. A player character control means (36) controls a predetermined number of player characters (114a to 114d) based on an operation input from the operating means (22) and on the game processing means (36), and displays the player characters on a display means (34). That is, a game image is displayed. An operating player setting means (36, S1, S13) sets the operating players to each of the predetermined number of player characters. The comparing means (36, S31, S35, S39) compares the number of players set by the number-of-operating-players setting means (36) with the number of the predetermined number of player characters. When the predetermined number of player characters is larger than the number of players, the operating player setting means (36, S1, S13) changes the setting in such a manner that the players may operate more than one player character so that every player character (114a to 114d) is assigned to one of the players.
According to an exemplary illustrative embodiment, regardless of the number of players, every player character is assigned to the players, and thus it is possible to offer a player environment of a similar level as in a case where a plurality of players play the action game cooperatively. Therefore, the game does not vary in its interesting aspects, even if the number of players changes.
In addition, decreasing the number of players would never increase the difficulty of playing the action game.
In a certain aspect, an exemplary illustrative embodiment further comprises a formation selecting means for selecting a formation of a plurality of player characters. The formation selecting means is activated only for the player characters operated by the player assigned a plurality of player characters, in accordance with a result of a setting made by the operating player setting means. The player character control means controls the plurality of player characters with the formation selecting means activated, based on the operation input from the operating means and on the game processing means so as to make a predetermined formation, and displays them on the display means simultaneously. More specifically, the game apparatus (10) further comprises the formation selecting means (36, S15). The formation selecting means (36, S15) selects a formation of a plurality of player characters. The formation selecting means (36, S15) is activated only for the player characters operated by the player assigned a plurality of player characters (the means is not activated if “YES” is followed in step S5, for example), in accordance with a result of a setting made by the operating player setting means (36, S1, S13). The player character control means (36) controls the plurality of player characters when the formation selecting means (36, S15) is activated, based on the operation input from the operating means (22) and on the game processing means (36) so as to make a predetermined formation, and displays them on the display means (34) simultaneously. In this way, since it is possible to select a desired formation, in a case where more than one person is enjoying the action game, the players may decide the formation of all the player characters through discussions by directly moving characters in real time. Also, in a case where a single player plays the game alone, he may choose a desired formation and play the action game as the plurality of players do. That is, it is possible to enjoy the action game at any time in almost the same player environment, irrespective of the number of players.
In a certain exemplary illustrative embodiment, the formation selecting means selects one of the formations according to a predetermined operation input from the operating means. More specifically, the formation selecting means (36, S15) selects one of the formations according to the predetermined operation input from the operating means (22), for example, a button operation. Therefore, since a desired formation can be selected by a simple operation, it is possible to change formations even during a battle in order to move forward with the game advantageously. Thus, this preserves active properties of the game.
In another exemplary illustrative embodiment, the formation selecting means displays a list of formations to be selected on the display means in accordance with a first operation input from the operating means, and selects one of the formations to be selected from the displayed list in accordance with a second operation input. More specifically, the formation selecting means (36, S11) displays a list (150, 152) of formations to be selected on the display means (34) in accordance with the first operation input from the operating means (22), and selects one of the formations to be selected from the displayed list (150, 152) in accordance with the second operation input. In this way, the operation is easy because formations can be changed just by selecting a desired formation from the list. Also, various formations are strategically conceivable according to the progress of the game, which makes the game more elaborate.
In still another exemplary illustrative embodiment, the operating player setting means includes a re-assignment means that, after one of the players has been designated to operate a number of player characters, re-assigns the player characters under a predetermined condition in such a manner that another player operates a different number of player characters. More specifically, after one of the players has been designated by the operating player setting means (36, S1, S13) to operate a number of player characters, the re-assignment means (36, S13) re-assigns the player characters under the predetermined condition in such a manner that another player operates a different number of player characters. For example, each of the players may plunder a player character from another player or hand over a player character to another player for a strategic purpose. In this way, the player characters set (assigned) at the start of the game can be changed during the game, which makes the game more enjoyable, avoiding monotony.
A storage medium storing a game program according to another exemplary illustrative embodiment stores a game program for a game apparatus comprising at least one operating means and a display means for playing a game by operating a predetermined number of player characters. This game program causes a processor of the game apparatus to execute a number-of-operating-players setting step, a player character control step, an operating player setting step, and a comparing step. The number-of-operating-players setting step sets a number of operating players. The player character control step controls a predetermined number of player characters based on an operation input from the operating means, and displays them on the display means. The operating player setting step sets an operating player to each of the predetermined number of player characters. The comparing step compares the number of players set by the number-of-operating-players setting step with a number of the predetermined number of player characters. When the predetermined number of player characters is larger than the number of the players, the operating player setting means changes a setting in such a manner that the players may operate more than one player character so that every player character is assigned to one of the players.
In other exemplary illustrative embodiments, even if a single player plays the game alone, it is possible to offer a player environment of a similar level as in the case where a plurality of players play the game cooperatively.